Note

If you only have one diskette drive and no hard disk, you need to use that drive to load the operating system as well as the application programs you are using. First load the operating system; this copies it into the computer’s memory (RAM) so you do not need to leave the diskette in the drive. Then you can remove that diskette and insert the program diskette you want to use, and load that into memory too. See your application program manual for detailed

instruct ions.Using the Hard Disk Drive

You can create and revise files on a hard disk just as you can on a diskette. The hard disk, however, provides several advantages:

The 20MB hard disk can store more data than 16x1.2MB diskettes and the 40MB hard disk can store twice as much.

Your computer can perform all disk-related operations faster.

You can store all your frequency used programs and data files on the hard disk, eliminating the inconvenience of inserting and removing diskettes to access different files.

The added storage capacity makes it easy to move back and forth between different programs and data files. However, because it is so easy to add programs and files to your hard disk, you may find yourself trying to organize hundreds of files.

MS-DOS lets you keep related files together in directories and subdirectories so they are easier to find and use.

Using Your Computer 3-17